Portugal Eyes Türkiye as Model for Defense Production

Portugal’s Defense Minister Nuno Melo said his country wants to follow a development path similar to Türkiye’s drone industry as he visited Baykar, one of Türkiye’s leading unmanned systems producers, during an official trip focused on military innovation and defense cooperation.

Melo said Portugal’s approach to partnerships is grounded in technology, industrial capacity and economic return, signaling a pragmatic stance toward cooperation beyond the European Union framework.

NATO, Not Ideology, at the Core

Addressing questions about cooperation with Türkiye, Melo rejected ideological limits on defense partnerships and stressed NATO unity and interoperability.

“We cannot be in NATO and think NATO allies are something else entirely,” Melo said, calling Türkiye “a very important NATO member country.” He underlined that interoperability and equipment quality are essential if the alliance is to operate effectively.

Melo cited Portugal’s decision to build two new naval replenishment ships in Türkiye as an example of choosing partners based on operational needs, reliability and quality.

Baykar Visit Highlights Drone Benchmark

During his visit to Baykar, Melo praised the company’s technological capabilities, describing what he saw as “cutting-edge technology, the best that is made in the world.”

Baykar is known for producing advanced unmanned systems, including the Kızılelma unmanned fighter jet, designed for air-to-air combat, ground attack and naval operations, and seen as a symbol of the shift toward autonomous warfare.

Portugal Wants to Follow the Same Path

Referring to Kızılelma, Melo said Portugal aims to pursue a similar trajectory in unmanned and aerospace systems, adapted to its own scale and capacity.

“In Portugal, we will also follow that path at our scale,” he said, adding that learning through observation and experience-sharing is key to defining Portugal’s future defense objectives.

From Buyer to Producer

Melo framed defense cooperation with Türkiye as a two-way industrial relationship rather than a simple procurement model. He said Portugal wants to be both a buyer and a producer, with ambitions to export defense products.

“Portugal is not only a space for investment. Portugal is a space for production,” he said, adding that Türkiye could also become a customer for systems produced in Portugal.

He highlighted plans to develop domestic production chains across sectors, including satellites, armored vehicles, naval platforms and even fully domestically produced military aircraft, linking such projects to job creation, skilled employment and long-term economic growth.

Türkiye’s Growing Defense Role

Türkiye has expanded its footprint in the global defense and aerospace market through partnerships and exports across NATO countries, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Companies such as Baykar have gained international recognition, particularly for unmanned systems that have reshaped modern warfare.

Melo’s visit underscored Portugal’s intention to diversify partners, accelerate capability-building and reduce strategic dependencies through NATO-aligned, industry-focused cooperation with Türkiye.